There, I fixed that for you Dr. Pee. Angie's List doesn't work that way at all, sure, they are a for profit corporate operation and charge a fee to be listed on the top of the first page just like Yodel, Yelp, Thumbtack, and many others - but it is the MEMBERS of the A-list who write the reviews. It's hard to game this system, unlike the others. You can't have all your crew, and everyone you know write good reviews for you. It's only customers of the A-list whom you have worked for and are members of Angie's List that can submit reviews of your work and work practices.
Needless to say if you are a contractor who does shoddy work, or who leaves a bad impression with customers you will not last long on Angie's List. I've been listed on the A-list for the past six years and have received well over 200 reviews written by the members there. They are mostly rave reviews and often A-list customers don't even get other bids based on these reviews and the fact that I have been awarded the A-list "Super Service Award" all six years that I have been listed there. Less than 5% of contractors get this Award so it puts me in a rather exclusive "club".
Aerialist